Locking device for automobiles.



l. D. PERRY.

LOCKING DEVICE FOR AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATION FILED umr. 1916.

' Illinoi s,

"UNITED STATES PATENT o1 IRA. D. PERRY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

LOCKING DEVICE FOR AUTOMOBILES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patent ed Feb. e, 1917'.

Application filed December 7, 1916. Serial No. 135,6l'.

' cial reference to means for locking the steerily applied to position,

ing wheel in either operative or inoperative the cap of the gear casing to said Casing.

A further ob ect is the production of a device of few operative parts cars now in use. a

'A further object is the production of a de vice that is applicable to cars of the Ford t e usin p anetary gear.

jk furtfer object i the productionof a device that can be cheaply constructed and one not'liable to get out of order or to disarran-gement of its parts.

Figure 1 represents a vertical sectional view of my device with the pinions engaged and the wheel locked in steering position.

Fig. 2 represents a fragmentary view of a portion of Fig. 1 with the pinions. in do- I meshed position.

Fig. 3 represents a bottom plalrand sectional view of the cap rcl'noved from the housing.

Fig. 4 represents a fragmentary view of the housing showing. a portion of the cap locking mechanism.

Like numerals of reference indicate like parts in the several figures of the drawings.

Referring now to the drawings, 5 represents the steering column of an automobile, the top of which is provided with a cylin' dr'ical recess 65, within which .isqnmm d the reduced end 7 oi a stud shaft S. The stud shasft'is reduced at E) and the ordinary steeringwheel 10 fitted thereon and hold in place.

by means of the screw cap; 11. Secured on the top of the steermg column is a cylindrical housing 12. heldagainst upward. moveand also simultaneously locking that can be readmcnt by the shoulders 14 of the steering I column. The upper portion of the interior periphery of the housing is formed with an lnternal toothed rack 14; and the outer pe riphery is threaded at 15 ;0 permit the screw cap 16 to be screwed in p ace, protecting the interior of 'the housing. Mounted on the usual pins 17 Within the lniusing are a plurality of pinions 18' meshing with the rack 14 on the interior periphery of the lmusing' and also meshing with a pinion 18 rigidly secured on the stud shaft 8. This stud shaft is provided with a perip'leral flange or colvlar 19 extending beyond the-circumference of the pinion 18'. The eap 16 is provided with an upwardly-extending orti0n'20 lia'ving an interior space 2i. 0 so 'cient diameter to permit the passage of the flange. 1'9-vvl'ion the stud shaft is moved upwardly." Mounted within the. cap is a lock 22,"'the usual bolt-engaging arm 22 of which-engages the' bolt 23. Secured-within the"'e'nd face of the cap and hen oath the bolts23'is a ring or washer 24, S61VlIl'g iK) strongtiiicn the cap and serving as a support for theholt 23. The bolt 23 is L'-sha pod having)a lower projecting portion 25 and am'a'in olt portion 26. In the upper Face of the bolt 23 is a recess .27 within uhirh is mounted a spring 28 and a binding hall or pin '29 and in the end fare of the on 1 a rooess 30 'isp'rovidod in line with the 1' mess in the bolt, so when the bolt is moved 'lorwal'd' us shownin 1* 1g. Qthc syn-mg tonnes thc'hall or pin into the rercss within the cap. thhsholdingthe" bolt in place and prevcntingdt fronnbcing rattled by the vibration of the mach ne. Llt 13,. ot course. understoor that tho sprili'g is not a very still one, so that while it (diets sutlicicnt resistu ueo aga i1 1st "the rotraction of the bolt hy the vjhratio'i of tho nu-111,110, it

d00$110t prevent ny hazlgvurd and [m wm d movement of the bolt hey -opcrat'iw moans.

A slot is cut in the h tum-nu! pvrlpi'iorv oi the cap at I}! opposite Lho 'lucu :3:

of. the shoulder 25 to wnuit t 10. l l'ltfl f'llllllii the shoulder when. the hult o (u'z il;( l. ifox'-- responding slot 33 is out in tile/upped cdgv o the housing :ulapted to register with the larged erate simu .7 cap "containing the lock mechanism is vscrewedtightly onto the housing and then the position of the lock bolt 23 is marked on the side of the housing below the enortion 34 containing'the lock and bolt. he cap is then unscrewed and the slot '33 formed in the housing. By this .'method a tight fit is always assured and something of this character is necessary as the relative position of the threads on the housing as compared to the corresponding threaded inter or of the cap is never exactly the same, so if the slot in the housing was made without the cap having first been screwed tightly on, it is clear that there would never be an accurate adjustment. By this means, however, the parts are tightly fitted together and all danger of displacement by reason of the vibration prevented.

It is understood, of course, that the cap can be made and sold separate from the balance. of the device, as the planetary gearing,-stud shaft and wheel are of the ordinary typein use on certain makesof cars,

," u d i combination with an Ordinary covering cap. In order to equip the cars with my improved device,it is simply necessary, to remove thenut at the top of .the steering Wheel, lift theiwheel from the tip of the steering column, take off the ordinary cap and having seen to it that the lock is in unlockedposition, .to screw in place my improved'cap. The "marks on the housing are thenQmade in order to be sure that the locking device will occupy the proper position when finally assembled. Thelocking cap is then removed and the slot filed as llOIBtOe 7 fore described and then the improved cap put back-inplace; When-the cap is inproper position; the set screw '35 is screwedinto place, amisting in holding the members to gather-in proper relation to each other.

' Owing to the increasing demand for auto- 'mbbiles, theftsof carsleft standing are fre-' quent and a deyice such as mine is of great 'back into placeg'thus leaving the wheel free to spin like a top in this position and when the wheel isthus spinning the ca ea not be,

1 position.

steered, thus making it impossible for any one town the car off on its own power.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a locking device for automobiles the combination of a steering head comprising a planetary gearing, a Stud shaft on which the center pinion of said gearing is mounted, said stud shaft being movable from a position in which the center pinion is enmeshed to a position in which it is out of mesh, a l-iousing containing said gearing, a cap for said housing, and a unitary device having means for locking the cap on the housing and also means for locking the stud shaft in either meshed ordemeshed position.

2. In a locking device for automobiles the combination of a steering head comprising a planetary gearing, a stud shaft on which the center pinion of said gearing is mounted, said stud shaft movable from a position in which the center pinidn is enmeshed to a position in which it is out of mesh, a housing containing said gearing, a cap for said housing, and a locking boit having a part for locking the cap on the housing and also a part for locking the stud I shaft in either meshed or demeshed position,

3. In a locking device for automobiles the combination of a steering head comprising aplanetary gearing, a studshaft on which the center pinion of said gearing is mounted, said stud shaft being movable from a position in; which the center pinion is enmeshed to a position in which it is out of mesh, a housing containing said gearing, a cap for said housing, and a shouldered locking bolt having a part for locking the cap on the housing and also a part forlocking the stud shaft in either meshed' or demeshed position.

'on the housing, and the stud shaft whether the stud shaft is in meshed or demeshed position, the shoulder of saidbolt being adapted to fit within the slot-in said housing when the bolt is moved into '.'locking 5'. In a lockingdevicefor automobiles the combination of 'a steering head comprising' a planetary -gearingf'a'stud shaft on value in preventing the theft of a car as; when the car is out. of use the lock is drawn back, the wheel raised, and the lock shot which the center pinion oarsaid gearing is mounted, a slotted hoiising cont ining said gearing, a"slotte'd""cap" for said housing the slot irh-said enipbeinfii adapted to register i when the parts with the slot 'in' the '11 Sir? ss m Wei- 3. e." slac 4. In a locking device for automobiles for locking'the cap on the housing, and the scribed mv name in the presence of two studh shaft awheflfizl the stud ihafstlzl is1 din witnesses.

mes ed or emes position, t e ou er of said bolt being adapted to fit within the IRLDMPERRY i 5 slot in said housing when the bolt is moved Witnesses:

' into locking position. F. E. JOHNSON,

In witness whereof, I have hereunto sub- EDITH ANDERSON. 

